Today’s project is transplanting the guts of a Chris King 32 spoke rear road hub into a 28 spoke rear MTB hub made for Bontrager by Chris King in 1999. The Bontrager hub shell is the only King made shell that’s approved to withstand the load of non-drive side radial lacing, meaning the lace of spokes on the chain-free rear wheel side don’t cross over or touch one another hub to rim. I bought the Bontrager hub shell on ebay for $20 in ’05. It was unusual to find just a shell for sale, especially this one, as hubs are usually sold as complete units, with all the guts in place.

Time has come (been made available) to gut my King road hub, which came off a Kestrel road bike Danusia bought for me to celebrate my first full time job in Santa Barbara, ’98, and Frankenstein a special rear wheel for my 6 year dormant first Bontrager, a 1993 Ti Lite that was a gift from Danusia after my ’91 Fisher Procaliber with the original Rock Shox RS1 was stolen. I rode the Bonty Ti over 10,000 miles between ’93 and ’06 in 6 states, mainly California and Arizona, and have rebuilt the bike 4.5 times. Now, for the final rebuild, beginning with the rear hub.

Hub shells: Chris King & Bontrager

One can see thicker spoke flanges and less hub concavity on the Bontrager shell. I pulled the drive axle from the King shell, left.

Hub Tool

This is the Chris King Hub Tool, which I use for bearing removal from the King shell and installation into the Bontrager shell.

Hub Tool & shell

The non-drive bearing in the King shell is secured in the Hub Tool, which now requires whacks from heavy rubber mallet to pop out bearing.

Drive bearing

As I whacked the Hub Tool, the larger drive side bearing popped out, an unexpected occurrence.

Drive mechanism

With both King shell bearings out, the hub’s ring-drive mechanism is exposed.

After bath

After bath.

Lineup

Line units up.

Food

Feed with proper nutrition.

Reverse entire removal process into press fit installation mode, then stare lovingly at the new Bontrager hub.

The End